a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a set of elements, each presenting at least one rectilinear edge along which the said elements are articulated to each other by means of protrusions provided on the said rectilinear edges, which protrusions intermesh with each other.
A set of elements articulated to each other such as mentioned hereabove can be used for many diverses applications: toys, construction of scaled models, furniture such as shelves and bookcases, or structures of larger dimensions such as show-booths for example. The application to toys constitutes, however, in the present case, the main object of the invention. In this case, the elements can be constituted by polygonal plates, mostly triangles which, articulated to each other, will permit the construction of pyramids or polyhedrons. Such polyhedrons can be connected to each other along their edges, thus permitting assembly with other polyhedrons. As a result of the multiple articulations, the polyhedrons which are realized can also be provided with internal walls. The faces of the polyhedrons, as well as their internal walls, may be provided with openings so that the elements could be used in a game involving release of spherical bodies, or of other shape bodies, through such openings, or to secure to the elements complementary members, according to specific rules. If the elements of the toy are provided with figurative or symbolic patterns, their set could constitute spatial, three dimensional puzzles, with resultant supplementary interest to conventional puzzles which are positioned in a plane.
As a matter of fact, the number of the applications of such a set of elements articulated to each other, even restricted to toys, is tremendously high.
b) Description of the Prior Art
It is to be noted that it is already known to articulate elements to each other, even in the field of toys, by means of protrusions provided on a rectilinear edge of each element. However, in the known realizations, on the one hand one cannot connect more than two elements by keeping the character of an articulation, the elements being then merely assembled and not articulated, and, on the other hand, when there are more than two elements, their connection can be obtained only by means of one of the elements, which constitutes an intermediate connecting member, without all the elements of the set, whatever they can be, can be articulated, by pairs, two by two.